The present invention relates to a reinforcing structure for a steering support member that is set across in the vehicle width direction in an instrument panel of a motor vehicle to support a steering column.
Conventionally, in an instrument panel of a motor vehicle, a steering support member for supporting a steering column and the like has been set across in the vehicle width direction.
This steering support member is made up of a metallic pipe part, and the driver's seat side thereof is required to have a higher rigidity than the passenger's seat side because the driver's seat side supports the steering column and the like.
To meet this requirement, some conventional motor vehicles are equipped with a deck cross member (steering support member) in which the driver's seat side thereof has a higher rigidity than the passenger's seat side as disclosed in JP 9-277961 A. Specifically, in such a motor vehicle, a large-diameter pipe is used on the steering column side and a small-diameter pipe is used on the opposite side, the diameter of one end of the small-diameter pipe is increased, and the end portion of the large-diameter pipe is pressed into the diameter-increased part of the small-diameter pipe, thereby joining the large-diameter pipe and the small-diameter pipe together.
Unfortunately, the above-described conventional reinforcing structure for a deck cross member requires a plurality of pipes having different diameters, and also requires fabrication for increasing the pipe diameter to join these pipes together. Therefore, the conventional reinforcing structure has a problem of increased work manpower and equipment cost.